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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22372378">Grá Geal Mo Chroí:: Bright Love of my Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raionmimi/pseuds/Raionmimi'>Raionmimi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms, 衛宮さんちの今日のごはん | Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan | Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe of an Alternate Universe, Canon What Canon, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hmm maybe this is a mid burn, Medb has such cutesy names for her NPs so the title is cutesy too, Other characters are mentioned but I hate tagging things that arent the main focus, Slow Burn, This fic is for me because I have to make my own content if I wanna see it, my city now</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:27:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22372378</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raionmimi/pseuds/Raionmimi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cú Chulainn has a chance encounter with Queen Medb, but maybe living with the enemy isn't as bad as it seems</p><p>(Au takes place in the Emiya-sanchi no Kyō no Gohan universe but now with 100% more Medb!!!!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cú Chulainn | Lancer/Medb | Rider</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an entirely self indulgent fanfic meant for me. If you're familiar with my type of posts on Tumblr, my take on Medb is a lil different/more in depth than Nasuverse. That means, in this fic, Medb and Cú have some backstory with each other even before the war. That, and I like to add flair wherever I want because I can, and no one can stop me (ง • ̀_ • ́) ง </p><p>I don't own anything related to Type Moon, but I would 100% put Nasu in a headlock until he gave me the rights to writing Medb's character in things uwu</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m heading out! Thanks again for filling in,” Cú shouted back, standing near the entrance of the café. “Oh, and for the grub,” he added with a grin, holding up a plastic bag with a carryout box tucked inside.</p><p>A year or so had passed since the Fifth Holy Grail War had ended, but the lancer and his fellow servants hadn’t returned to the throne like they had all assumed. None of them knew the reasoning behind it, but they weren’t complaining. Each of them had learned to adapt fairly quickly to everyday life in the modern world with their masters, and it was clear that not a single soul was eager to leave. Cú busied himself with various jobs here and there, and every so often he’d run into one or more of them in this city. It was strange to think that not that long ago, they were in a death battle for a chance to fulfill a wish, but now they were chummily living like a tight knit community.</p><p>“I’ve told you multiple times now… If you have that much time tracking me down, you have enough time to find another replacement for your cook. I have other errands to do on my own time,” Emiya chided as he untied his apron and set it aside on a hook. It had been awhile since Lancer had first coerced him into working here, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last.</p><p>“Hah? You say that every time, but you still come in anyways. Whaddya even do all day besides play house?” Cú asked, always delighted to push his buttons. “I’m sure that girl of yours can learn to do a thing or two on her own every now and then. You spoil her too much.”</p><p>Archer sighed and shook his head. He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t mean he was correct. The truth was he enjoyed getting out and making meals for people to enjoy. Not only was cooking a bit nostalgic for him, it was a lot more soothing than shedding blood in fruitless wars. He was almost certain that Cú also enjoyed a change in pace, and that was why he went headfirst into spending his time taking on a number of jobs. A second chance at life, and they all had decided to live out a simple, mundane one. </p><p>“Well, whatever, it’s still raining out. Take an umbrella. I don’t want you coming back just to complain that your uniform is soaked.”</p><p>“What are ya? My mom? I know how to handle a laundry machine. I’m outta here before you try to tell me to wash behind my ears, yeesh,” Cú cheekily replied. He glanced out the window and watched as the rain picked up from a gentle shower to a steady downpour. Not wanting to tell Emiya he was right in the end, he picked up a umbrella from the rack anyways and shook it open as he stepped outside.</p><p>His apartment wasn’t too far from here. Unlike the archer, Cú didn’t live with a master, but he managed to get by living on his own. In fact, he had come to prefer it after all the time he had spent. As much as he liked being around everyone, he was fond of having a bachelor life and the freedom to do as he pleased. As far as mana went, he had got a few pointers on how to adapt from Saber, and it had worked out pretty well for him. As long as the Grail would allow it, he would live out his new life to the fullest.</p><p>Just a block down, some idle chatter and laughter from across the street drew his attention. A group of teenaged boys were huddled in a circle, and their umbrellas obscuring any curious eyes from peering in. Normally, he wouldn’t have thought much about them and hurried on home, but it was odd to see anyone out when it was raining so hard. The whole street was practically bare besides the occasional car driving past. He cocked his head and thought he saw something white and fluffy sitting at their feet.</p><p>Better not be bothering a dog, he thought as he switched directions. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d seen some lowlifes throw rocks at a poor animal for twisted fun, but it also wouldn’t be the first time that he had knock some sense into assholes either. Without hesitation, he made a beeline for them to see just what was going on and if he’d have to intervene. The closer he got, the more he could make out what the kids were saying.</p><p>“Hey, Nee-Chan, did you hear me? I said ‘Are you okay?’” A boy with dark blue seaweed hair asked. He laughed as one of his friends jokingly smacked his arm. From their uniforms, they were students from the local school, most likely heading back from club activities. “Get out of the rain and come hang out with us!”</p><p>It turned out that there wasn’t actually dog at all, and Cú was almost relieved. Instead, the boys were surrounding a foreign girl with long, baby-pink locks. The poor thing was crouched down under the safety of a tree, soaked from the rain. Her milky skin was stained with cheeks that burned with fever, and her head lolled slightly every time she turned to look at them talking. By the irritated look on her face, Cú doubted that she knew any of these boys gathered around her, and he wasn’t one to leave a girl in need.</p><p>“I heard you the first time… I was just hoping you’d get the message and leave me alone already,” the girl muttered, trying to brush off their comments as she rose to her feet. Her lips thinned, and to the blind eye, it made her look even more annoyed, but Lancer knew she was mustering all her energy just to stand upright.</p><p>The boy’s fist tightened into a ball, nails digging into his skin. “Who are you to talk to me like that?” He demanded, cutting the mood amongst his friends.</p><p>“You act as though you’re of any importance.”</p><p>“H-hey, man… m-maybe we should just leave? We didn’t wanna start any problems. There’s other girls we can talk to…” Another boy spoke up, carefully choosing his words as he placed a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>The first boy smacked his friend’s hand off and sneered. “No. I’m not letting someone so impudent off the hook like that.” He jabbed a finger at the girl. “If you show me some respect and beg at my feet, then maybe I’ll forgive you, but don’t think I won’t take things easy on you just because you’re a girl.”</p><p>“What? Are you gonna hit me? Try to look real tough in front of that lot, are ya? Do it, you coward. I’d like to see you try,” she replied, pride as clear as day in her voice. By her posture, even with a fever and soaked like a dog, Lancer could tell she must have come from a rich family background. However, she wasn’t in any position to be picking fights.</p><p>“Sorry to cut in, but y’got business with this girl?” Cú asked, tapping the blue haired boy’s shoulder. When the kid turned around, his grey-blue eyes went wide from surprise. His friends were just as startled to see a strange man towering over them, and they stumbled over each other’s feet as they backed away.</p><p>“L-L-L-Lancer?? Wh-what are you doing here?”</p><p>“Hm?” It took him a moment, but Cú finally recognized him as that girl Sakura’s older brother. This guy rarely ever came by, and even when he did, he always had that same shitty attitude. Never gave off a good vibe, this kid. It wasn’t really surprising to see him bothering another girl. Guess that little jab wasn’t enough the first time.</p><p>“Hoh, Shinji, right?” </p><p>Without any warning, a blood red spear appeared in an instant. Its movement unable to be tracked by the human eye, and settled just centimeters away from the boy’s nose. While the others were alarmed at the mere sight of a weapon being drawn, he knew that Shinji would understand the real threat and power behind it.</p><p>The boy swallowed hard and hesitantly turned his head away. He hated being told what to do more than anything, but he knew better than to get on a servant’s bad side. Involuntarily, he reached for the scar that Lancer had given him ages ago. “Y-yeah…” He managed to say, wincing when the spear lowered closer to his Adam’s apple.</p><p>Cú tilted his head and smiled. “Wouldn’t wanna make a scene in front of your friends, so I’ll letcha off for now,” He pressed the tip of the spear against Shinji’s neck for a moment before letting it drop to his side. He wanted to make it clear that the only reason he was letting him walk free was because there were other humans around. Otherwise, he’d have clocked him into next week. “I better not see you bothering any pretty girls again, kay?”</p><p>Shinji rubbed his neck and glared, but he wouldn’t dare say anything to provoke Lancer. “Whatever. Let’s go,” he said, grumbling as he pushed past one of his friends. Nervously, they all briskly followed after him, not wanting to get tangled up with a dangerous-looking person.</p><p>“There ain’t a single drop of pride in em,” he sighed with disappointment as he watched them abscond without a fight. Life really was different than it was back in Ancient Celtic times. It was much quieter now, and the amount of people who took up arms to fight for glory had plummeted to a depressing number. Where was the reckless passion? The rush for glory?</p><p>“Oi, Sis, you all right?” He gently asked as he bent down to her height and held the umbrella over her head.</p><p>The girl tilted her head up, and nodded. “Are they gone?”  She looked like she was at her limit. At this point, a gust of wind could be the end of her. She sounded even worse. Judging by how flat and wet her fur coat was, she had to have been out in the rain for quite some time. That fever wasn’t going to be forgiving if she continued to stay out here like this.</p><p>“Yeah, they ran off.”</p><p>“Good. Lend me your shoulder then, boy.” She sighed, curling one arm around his and slumping further into his side.</p><p>“Boy?” By the looks of it, she couldn’t have been that much older than the boys pestering her. “I’ve got quite a few years on you, kiddo.”</p><p>When she didn’t respond, he leaned forward and saw that she was unconscious and was using him to keep herself propped up. “Ah, geez…”</p><p>Surely this girl had a family that would be worried for her safe return. With a quick and minimally invasive search, he failed to find a wallet or purse on her. He was hoping she’d at least have an ID or a phone on her. Didn’t every kid have those these days? The coat she wore didn’t seem to have any pockets, and upon closer inspection, she was only wearing very lightweight armor over a two piece and boots to match the coat on underneath.<br/>
“You some kinda… what’s the word… cosplayer? Pretty unlucky if you ask me, getting caught up in this weather. Thought they held events indoors though, whatcha doing all the way out here?”</p><p>When he hoisted her up into her arms, he couldn’t help but notice how frail she looked. His entire forearm might have been bigger than her torso, but at the very least she wasn’t starved skinny. No bruises on her body from what he could tell either. Was she a runaway? He was ready to go back to the cafe to call the local police station, when his hand brushed against her bare thigh, where he held her.  From that tiny bit of contact, a faint pulse of magical energy radiated off of her, too weak to be detected from a distance.</p><p>He nearly dropped her out of surprise. She wasn’t an ordinary girl at all, but rather a heroic spirit, just like himself. And yet, he had never seen her before… It shouldn’t be possible at all; the Grail had been throughly destroyed ages ago. His situation as a servant was unusual as it was, but he had never heard servants being able to be be summoned without a Grail in the first place. All the surviving masters and spirits had been living together in this town without much of a problem up to this point. Why would a new servant appear out of the blue? Did that mean more would eventually show up in turn? </p><p>He was almost annoyed that she had managed to slip past his radar without even masking her presence, but compared to the amount of mana both he, Emiya, or any of the other servants in Fuyuki for that matter, produced, it was wasn’t exactly a surprise. His skin began to crawl as daunting questions crossed his mind: Was she a friend or a foe? Was there going to be a new Holy Grail War in the midsts already? He was becoming more aware that he’d been taking the peace in this town for granted for too long.</p><p>Cú bounded up on the tallest roof with ease, using the high ground to scope out for any sign of a nearby master or another heroic spirit. While the girl didn’t have any injuries on her person, it was possible she had escaped an attack that exhausted her mana. It wouldn’t be out of the question for mages to use the cover of an oncoming storm to launch an attack on each other in secrecy, but from what he could tell, there was no indication of danger. The sleepy town remained quiet and free of disturbances for now, but it couldn’t hurt to keep his guard up.</p><p>He debated if he should kill her just to be safe, or if he should hear her out once she recovered. It might save him the trouble in case there really was a new war. If he took her out now, he could scout for her master before they summoned another servant in her stead that much quicker. It might even help to prevent dragging those kids back into another bloodbath. They deserved to have a normal life after all they had gone through in the past.</p><p>A cough brought him out of his thoughts. Still shivering, the girl reached out and grabbed his sleeve. Her lips moved as if she meant to say something, but her words came out muddled and confusing. He couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was trying to say, and it made him feel a little guilty that he had even considered the idea of murdering her.</p><p>“Ah… you’re lucky I’m not really into killing women,” he awkwardly started, resigning himself to whatever fate he’d bring upon himself by letting her live. Even though his track record with the fairer sex had never been that great, he couldn’t really find it in himself to attack when she couldn’t even defend herself. Maybe she wasn’t even a threat at all, just an anomaly of the Grail’s or some other higher power’s whims. “Let’s just get you out of this storm before it gets any worse. I don’t live that far from here.”</p><p>It was times like this that he sometimes thought that he should really consider buying a car for himself. Even though he always reminded himself that his existence here was only temporary, it’d make life easier to not have to rely on his mana so often and carry things around to and from his destinations. Humans sure had come a long way in terms of vehicles and technology. He’d come to appreciate them when he’d make deliveries during different jobs. </p><p>Once they finally arrived at the apartment complex, Cú felt uncharacteristically lucky that the storm was picking up in intensity. All the residents were inside, safe from the wind and rain, but also weren’t privy to him suspiciously carrying a passed out person around. Even the infamous busybodies had their curtains and blinds shut because of the weather, which made it a whole lot easier for him to skip going up the stairs entirely and just making quick leaps all the way to his floor. </p><p>After unlocking the door and shuffling her inside, he shook his hair out from its usual ponytail and set her down on the floor. A pool of water was dripping off the both of them and onto the floor.</p><p>“Gonna have to mop and then put this stuff in the dryer. Man, and the food’s probably cold now,” Cú mumbled to himself as he kicked off his shoes and peeled off his vest and shirt. Thankfully, the power was still on when he pressed the switch for the lights. He shuffled over to the kitchen and put the styrofoam container in the fridge to heat up for tomorrow. “Sis, how’re ya feeling? Want me to dry your clothes?…Sis? Hm, right, still conked out.”</p><p>He brought his hand to his chin and hummed, weighing his options. He could try taking off her clothes for her now, so he could do both of their laundry. The only problem was that it’d look really bad if she woke up in the middle of that, and he wasn’t in the mood for dealing with a huge misunderstanding. She didn’t seem capable of it, but waking her up so she could undress herself in another room while he got her a change of clothes might be a better idea. Then again, she didn’t look like she could walk on her own. She’d probably end up fainting and hitting her head on the floor or on some furniture if she went unattended.</p><p>The most reasonable solution he could come up with was for him to carry her to the bathroom, filling the tub with hot water. He took her fur coat and the top layer off and tossed them in the sink. All that was left for him to do was to plop the girl inside the bath with her clothes on. He figured the warmth would do her good after being out in the rain, plus her outfit was kind of like a bikini to begin with, so it was probably okay. Probably.</p><p>As she sat in the water, he stared at her and tried to see if he could figure out who she was. There wasn’t much about her that gave any hints away besides the tiara on her head. Obviously, she had to be some sort of royalty, but a name didn’t come to mind. Her clothes didn’t exactly match any ancient era, but she had to have come from somewhere cold if she bothered with such a heavy coat and boots. Most likely a European spirit, but that didn’t narrow it down at all. She could have been anyone, and servants came in various forms. What he was pretty certain of was that she wasn’t anyone he knew.</p><p>After he was sure she had enough time to warm up without becoming a shriveled up prune, he pulled her out and propped her up against the tub. He wrapped her up in a towel, patting her down with it. She was barely awake throughout the process, but occasionally, she’d mutter something incoherent and involuntarily lifted up her arms or legs as he dried her off. She must’ve been used to being dressed and bathed by handmaidens, which made things a lot easier. He figured with the towel on, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal if he helped take off her remaining layer of clothes, careful not to look at her to give her some amount of privacy.</p><p>Once he had her top and skirt, he left the door wide open to keep an eye on her as he retrieved the rest of their wet clothes by the entryway. He squeezed the excess water out in the kitchen sink and came back to toss them in the dryer. Every once in awhile, he’d peer down the hallway and into the bathroom to make sure she was still sitting upright. Her clothes were miraculously free from grime or stains, he noted as he set it to run through the night. Hopefully, if they were a servant’s clothing, they wouldn’t shrink. That fur looked awfully expensive. </p><p>He headed back for the towel-wrapped girl, and hoisted her over his shoulder as he headed down the hall to his room. Carefully, he laid her down on his futon, covered her with a blanket, and slipped the towel out from underneath it.</p><p>“Guess you need some kinda pajamas or something, right?” Cú said aloud as he went through his drawer and rummaged around, hoping to find something suitable for her. There wasn’t much of a selection, and he was starting to wish that the various girls he had casually dated every now and then would have at least left something behind. He wasn’t about to head out for a local store in this weather, not that he really went shopping much to being with. His uniforms outnumbered his casual outfits by a landslide since he really didn’t need any material clothing, but it made blending in with modern society a lot easier. He finally settled on taking one of his plain white T-shirts out for her. “We’re gonna make do with what we have, all right?”</p><p>Kneeling down at her side, he reached under the blankets and managed to pull her arms out and over her head. Keeping his eyes glued to the wall, he managed to slip her forearms through the sleeves and pulled the shirt over her head. Once he tugged it down enough, he looked back at her, so he could gently lift her head up and carefully pull her hair from underneath her and let it fan across the pillow like feathers. Even after her run-in with the weather, her rose locks remained glossy as pure satin. </p><p>“That should do it,” he said, satisfied with his efforts.</p><p>He got up again and glanced at the clock while he flipped the lights off. It wasn’t too late at night, but there was always something about the rain that made him tired. “Hope ya don’t mind me staying here with you. S’my room anyways,” he yawned, pulling out an extra futon from his closet. Months ago, he wasn’t even sure if buying two was even worth it since most of the whirlwind trysts he brought home never made it past the couch in his living room, or in some cases, just the countertop in his kitchen. He felt a little odd that a girl was even in his room at all, he mused while he placed it next to her and laid down.</p><p>It was easier to fall asleep than he thought it’d be. Maybe because it was comforting to sleep with someone near, even if they were a complete stranger.</p><p>________</p><p>The next day, Cú was woken up by a nest of hair in his face, but more uncomfortably, in his mouth. His eyebrows furrowed as he propped himself up with his elbow and pulled strands off of his tongue. His mystery guest was still there, dead asleep, but had apparently rolled closer in the middle of the night. Not the worst type of sleeper, she could have been a kicker or a blanket stealer.</p><p>“Blegh… well, that’s one way to get a man up…” he grumbled, pinching the last bit from his lips. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight peering in through the window, he noticed that the alarm clock was blinking on and off. The power must have gone out while he was asleep, so it didn’t go off. At least, it was one of his rare days off, so he didn’t have to worry about being late to any of his jobs. Unfortunately, with this new arrival, he couldn’t just sleep in like he usually would. Even now, he knew he wouldn’t feel right if he didn’t show off that good, old fashioned Celtic hospitality and hosted his guest to the best of his abilities.</p><p>Groggily, he trudged his way to the kitchen to nuke the food from last night in the microwave. While the cafe food was decent enough to eat when reheated, he wished he would have remembered to eat it when it was fresh. He’d have to bother Archer to make him another meal for him and his new guest. That, or he could always get Shirou to do it; that kid was always making home cooked meals, so he might as well impose on him for another favor. Hopefully the girls wouldn’t mind another joining them.</p><p>From the windows, he could see that the summer sun was already drying up the rain, leaving no sign that yesterday’s storm had even occurred. Compared to the empty streets of yesterday, today there was a hubbub of people going about their day.</p><p>Right when he was going to head out, he stole another glance towards his bedroom. Would it really be okay if she was here by herself? He didn’t plan on being gone for that long, but twenty minutes was still plenty of time for things to go awry without his supervision. There was no guarantee that she’d sleep until he came back, especially if she was a heroic spirit. There would be a chance that she’d recover and take off without him ever getting to ask her where she came from or what she was doing here. </p><p>“Should I just order a pizza or chicken then?” He asked himself, though he wasn’t really in the mood for anything other than the cafe food. “Ah, whatever, a few minutes couldn’t hurt. I’ll be gone and back before she knows it.”</p><p>________</p><p>Medb didn’t even realize that she had been holding her breath until after the she was certain the man had finally left the room. He had grabbed her in his sleep awhile ago, waking her up in the process. Out of mild panic, she had froze on the spot, and even when he started mumbling to himself, she remained painstakingly silent. It wouldn’t be the first time she had woken up in an unfamiliar bed with a stranger, but this time, the circumstances were a lot different. Somehow, she had been summoned from the Throne of Heroes, and whoever that person was had no connection to her. She had no master to call her own in this world.</p><p>The second she heard the front door slamming shut, she immediately jumped to her feet and poked her head out of the room. The hallway was empty, but she couldn’t be too careful. Closing her eyes, she tried to detect any servant’s nearby, but she couldn’t pinpoint anything other than humans living close by, possibly in a village of some sort. Taking them out of the equation, she was met with complete silence. Perhaps no one else lived here but him.</p><p>She paced around what she assumed was a bedroom given the two white mats on the floor. They weren’t raised off the ground, so she wondered if this country didn’t have any problem with insects. While the design was relatively plain, she admired how thick and comfortable they were. Glancing around the room, she idly thought that wherever she was, this room was far too simple and rustic to be the castle of a nobleman, and yet much too tidy and orderly to be your average run of the mill inn. The temperature was also pretty cool inside even though it looked like the middle of a summer day outside.</p><p>Too curious to stay still, she stretched and arched her back like a cat and yawned before going back to the doorway. Now that she had the whole place to herself for the time being, she wanted to explore and get more accustomed to her environment.The hall was still empty, and even when she called out a short, “Hello!” just to be sure, no one answered. Every room she encountered was just as vacant, though filled with furniture and items she had never seen before. In one room in particular, there was a mirror that revealed that she was wearing a comically large white tunic. It definitely didn’t belong to her.</p><p>In another room, she found a lounging area with a door that the man had probably used when he had left. Somewhere in her subconscious, she slightly understood that she was currently inside a modern household. Her memory of his face was a little foggy from yesterday. For some reason, her mana had been depleted the second she had arrived, but she couldn’t recall doing anything before hand. Had she used a noble phantasm? Her reality marble took up a lot of mana, but she was pretty sure that it wouldn’t be enough to drain her that much.</p><p>While poking her nose around the place helped pass the time, there wasn’t much here that helped her figure out where she was. She sighed and sat on the long, padded chair, which in her opinion looked more like a luxurious bed than the mats in the bedroom, only to shift over when she realized she had sat on something. At the same time, a sleek, black box across from her suddenly lit up as if by magic.</p><p>“Good afternoon, Fuyuki! Today’s weather will be mostly sunny with a high of 30 degrees C today!”</p><p>Glad that she was already seated, Medb could only stare at the box with wide eyes as a well-groomed woman smiled back at her. The woman waved her hand across a map of some sort, and the images seemed to dance with the movement of her fingertips. The voice in Medb’s head told her that this was a television, and that she was watching the news forecast, but being filled with knowledge of the world through the Grail was a lot different than experiencing it first hand. </p><p>She continued to watch as the images on the screen changed. Perhaps this “television” was some sort of modern magic, similar to a crystal ball. She was thankful that it told her where she was first and foremost. For awhile, she sat there mesmerized and was sure to listen to all of its wisdom, even if she couldn’t fully understand what they were telling her. Sometimes, an oracle spoke in riddles and one would have to find out what it means later… or something like that. </p><p>Looking out the window here, there view of foreign buildings, and even from the distance they were, Medb could tell that they easily surpassed the height of fortresses and castles she had seen in her days. She walked closer and peered down at the crowds on the streets. None of them looked to be of Irish descent or from neighboring nations. </p><p>Fuyuki, as the wise television had taught her, was on a large island called Japan. She was hundreds of thousands of miles away from her beloved Connacht. Even the busiest marketplace wasn’t as populated as this city. Gone were the ample grasslands with livestock and the occasional villages here and there. Here, odd carriages that maneuvered down the well paved roads without the help of oxen or horses. She could only imagine how many more differences she would possibly come across.</p><p>Sighing, leaned her head against the glass. “Why am I here? Surely, there’s a master out there for me, isn’t there? I don’t understand any of it,” she softly said, pressing her fingers on the window until she caught herself. This situation was beyond her control, there was no sense getting upset over it. She might as well make the best of it, after all, this was the first time the Queen of Connacht was summoned. “Maybe I’m just too powerful to be made a servant! What master would even be worthy of me? Hahahahahaha!!! Of course, of course! That is the only explanation!!” </p><p>And just like that, her overconfidence was restored.</p><p>The only place she hadn’t checked was what she assumed was the kitchen area. As a daughter of a royal family, she didn’t have much experience with cooking. In fact, if she ever attempted to do any sort of chore as a child, she’d get scolded by her mother for doing a commoner’s job. Even the servants had to constantly dissuade her, in fear of getting punished themselves. Of course, it never stopped her from trying anyways; people always said that she was a curious and willful child that would have been better off being born as a boy.</p><p>An irritated sigh left her lips as she tapped her fingertips across the countertop. Life had gone by very quickly, that she never did get the chance to teach herself how to do anything in the kitchen beyond brewing mead. In fact, there were many little things that she never got to do, but instead of pitying herself about it, there was no time like the present. After all, now that she had the mighty television, and with its knowledge, nothing could possibly get in her way.</p><p>She started rummaging though the cabinets to see what this kitchen had in stock. It didn’t look like anyone cooked here much, just the basics like pots, pans, and utensils. She probably didn’t need much to work with as a beginner, but the pantry was nearly just as bare. Was this man poor? How could that be when they had such a wonderful magic box that knew all?</p><p>The sound of the door clicking made her freeze. How long had she spent walking around? She had nearly forgotten about her situation, and now she was caught off guard in a household she was not familiar in. Someone was coming, and she didn’t have any mana to spare in order to summon her chariot, nor was there any room to do so. Was it the man from before, or someone else? Either way, there wasn’t much time for her to do much about it when the blue-haired man walked in, whistling a cheery tune until he spotted her standing there. </p><p>Neither one expected to see the other, and for a minute, they stared each other down. Cú tried to break the ice by smiling and offered his hand. “Oho, Sleeping Beauty’s awake? Glad you’re okay, I brought some- Oi!!”</p><p>He wasn’t even able to finish his sentence when she hurled herself towards him. She had grabbed the largest knife in his kitchen set with such ease that a normal human wouldn’t have noticed. Ignoring the wobbly sensation in her legs, she immediately went on the offensive, aiming to stab him several times. An animalistic growl not fit for a queen rolled out from her throat as she attacked.</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey! Wait!” He stumbled back as he dodged the blade, taken by surprise that that she was already out for blood after being on her deathbed. “Look, it’s great that you’re up and at em, but can we skip the part you try and kill me? You can keep the knife if it’ll make you happy, I got plenty more! Just give a man a rest, will ya?” He glanced back in the hallway, glad that no one was walking by, before carefully shutting the door.</p><p>She wasn’t expecting him to talk so casually to her and hesitantly backed off. Just to be safe, she clutched the hilt of the knife with both hands as if it was a sword, ready to strike again if need be. She was still pale as snow, contrasted by the dark circles under her eyes, but it was clear that she was in better shape than she was last night. She studied his face before replying, “You… you’re the man from the street.”</p><p>“Glad you recognize me, I guess. You weren’t doing so hot out in the rain, so I brought you back to my place. I get that you’re pretty confused, but I promise I’m not here to hurt you.”</p><p>The distrust in her golden eyes didn’t fade, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt and lowered the weapon to her side. Looking down at the shirt she was wearing, the girl tugged the collar down. “Did you do this?” She asked, not caring if he could see the roundness of her breasts.</p><p>“The shirt? I did, but only cuz your clothes got drenched. Mind not stretching it out though? I only have a few of those,” he flatly said as he set his takeout on the kitchen counter.</p><p>“Well, take it back. I don’t want it.” Without a sign of any concerns, she pulled the shirt over her head and balled it up in her hands before throwing it at his feet.“I don’t like owing favors, so don’t bother with something so trivial. Fetch me my clothes instead, boy.”</p><p>“Uh huh…” Hoo, this girl really had no shame. Not only was she perfectly okay with being buck naked in front of him without a hint of embarrassment, she was already starting to make demands. The second he had seen that tiara on her head, he knew he should have seen this coming, but it didn’t make it any less annoying. “Well, they’re dry and folded up in my room, y’know, the place where you were sleeping. Shoulda seen them when you woke up and gotten ‘em yourself.”</p><p>She shot him a scornful look, but by the reddish tinge on her cheeks, she was probably more shocked that he dared to talk back to her and couldn’t find the right words. Instead, she turned on her heel and huffed as she walked back to his room.</p><p>He sighed and followed after. Now that she was awake, he was hoping he’d finally be able to figure out what was going on with the Grail once and for all. The problem was if her behavior, even after all he had done for her, was anything to go by, hosting her here might just prove that it’d be more effort than it was worth.</p><p>The girl stopped at the doorway of his room and whirled around. Her hands rested on either side of the frame, purposely blocking his way. “What are you on my tail for? Could it be you find my body that alluring? I can’t say that I’m surprised, but I’m not available.”</p><p>What a handful this one was… He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Not interested, I just have some questions for you, that’s it.”</p><p>“Questions? What for? I should be the one asking you the questions around here. After all, I’m not the one who dragged an unconscious woman into their home. How do I know you’re not going to do something terrible to me?”</p><p>“Don’t make it sound creepy. Just move.”</p><p>“Why should I? I’m still recovering, and you’re being a bother to me.”</p><p>Cú glanced at her little noodle arms. Did she really think she could stop him with those things? “Are you always this suspicious?” He asked as he just walked into her arm, his weight surpassing hers, and pushed right by.</p><p>“I have the right to be.”</p><p>“I’m telling you, this ain’t an interrogation, just simple curiosity. Now are you going to help me out here or not?” He plopped down on his futon and leaned over to pat the other one, inviting her to join him. True to what he had said, her clothes were laid neatly in between the two, and he waited until she willingly got dressed and sat with him.</p><p>“Get on with it then,” she sniffed.</p><p>“First thing’s first. Since there’s no Grail War that I know of, it should be safe for you to tell me your True Name.”</p><p>“Oh? So you know about me being a servant?”</p><p>He blinked, a little confused. “Yeah, of course. Imma servant too, couldn’t you tell?”</p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t realize servants could come this… lowbrow.”</p><p>“Just answer the question, lady.”</p><p>She clutched the pillow closer to her against her chest. “If you’re going to ask my True Name, then at least have the decency to state yours first.”</p><p>“Decency?” He was tempted to say something back, but he bit his tongue. He was very familiar with this type of woman, and it would do no good for him to get her riled up. “Fine, fine, Princess… My true name is Cú Chulainn, hero of Ireland. Maybe you’ve heard of me, I’m kind of a big deal.”</p><p>She didn’t laugh. Tough crowd.</p><p>He waited for her to return the favor, but she stayed still, pillow hiding half of her face. “And your name is…?” he added, rotating his hand towards her, hoping to coax her into replying. </p><p>Without any warning, she hurled the pillow at his face as hard as her strength would allow her. Feathers puffed out as it made contact, and he leaned back with the momentum.</p><p>Cú managed to yank the pillow off of his face in time to see her leaping towards him with the knife again like a lean panther pouncing on her prey. He only needed one hand to grab her by the wrists and lift her off the ground. This time, he disarmed her and put the knife on a high shelf, where she couldn’t reach unless she stood on a chair. He was silently thankful that she was so tiny. The apparent power imbalance irritated her even more, and she shrieked and kicked at him. </p><p>“Was reeeeeally kinda hoping we were getting past the whole stabbing thing,” He sighed, holding her away from him. “I know ladies always wanted a piece of me, but this is ridiculous. I’m guessing you know me somehow?”</p><p>Momentarily, she stopped her assault and glared, still dangling in the air. She looked much more like a harmless kitten now. “There are plenty of times I wish I didn’t.”</p><p>Wait a second… the pink hair, the pouty face, the bratty attitude… it was starting to come back to him. There was absolutely no way this could be anyone else.</p><p>He groaned into his open hand and slid it down his face. “Don’t tell me… oh no… you’re not Medb, are you?” His E rank luck with women never failed him. Of course, he’d end up running into the one girl who hated him enough to get him killed over a stupid war.</p><p>“That’s Queen Medb to you, Cú Chulainn!!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please forgive me for any typos, I'm a maniac that only writes in the middle of the night when I have no brain power whatsoever because I only drink dumbass bitch juice</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cú Chulainn couldn’t believe that one of his greatest foes was now here before him, glaring at him while huddled up in her fluffy white coat and sulking with her hands crossed. After that little ambush of hers just moments ago, she had lost her pillow privileges. </p><p>“So, let’s try this one more time, kay?”</p><p>“For what reason?”</p><p>The Lancer rested his head in his hand as he took a deep breath, tapping a pen on the floor. The level of tolerance he was keeping had to be far greater than any of the feats he had accomplished in life. He had been trying to press her for any sort of details, but all he had gotten was a ton of Medb-grade attitude and a nearly empty notepad.</p><p>“Just tryin’ to understand how you’ve even managed to manifest here, and you saying ‘I dunno,’ isn’t giving me much to work with. You gotta know something at least!” He prodded, rubbing his temples. It had been a long time since he had a conversation with Medb in person, but he could hardly recall a time when the two had gotten along during the Cattle Raid. She always had to make things progressively more difficult for him every time they ran into each other. He almost asked himself what he had done in his past to deserve this, but if he was being honest with himself, there was definitely an ever flowing list.</p><p>The queen of Connacht drummed her fingers on her arm, her already low patience starting to fray at the threads. They had been at this for the past two hours, but they weren’t getting anywhere. Of course, it didn’t help that it was hard for them to talk without getting on each other’s nerves that they constantly forgot what they were supposed to be discussing in the first place.</p><p>“Haven’t I told you time and time again? I really don’t,” she snapped, “I was summoned for the first time, but there’s no point in me being here. All I know is that I woke up in the middle of a country I’ve never even heard of before! That’s not even the worst part of it, really. I mean, look at me now, I have to be here with you of all people…”</p><p>Her answer definitely didn’t make anything any more clear, but at least it was something. He scribbled it down, hoping that eventually, she’d think of something more definite that could help him. “And you got no master? Absolutely sure on that one?” He asked, glancing up from his notes.</p><p>“Of course not! Why do you think I was out of mana to begin with? It wasn’t my fault I didn’t have anyone to replenish it for me right away, otherwise, you’d have never seen me like… that. If I was at my peak, I’d have managed to take your head already since I never thought to do so the first time. A shame, it’d look so nice perched up on my chariot.”</p><p>Besides the empty threat, she didn’t seem to be lying about her circumstances, so maybe it was possible that this was all some kind of fluke. There was the chance that the Grail that was destroyed during the past war had managed to repair itself in a shorter time period. The chain reaction of it reassembling itself back together could possibly explain how Medb was able to be dragged out here to Fuyuki, but it still left the mystery of why.</p><p>“What about you? Do you have a master? I haven’t seen anyone else in this place. I mean, it’s a pigsty in here, a big enough mess for two people or more, but I’m assuming that’s just how you live.”</p><p>He was a little surprised that she’d even think to ask about him, but maybe she just didn’t like that she was the only one who had to volunteer information. After all, as much as she was driving him up the wall, she was still obviously on edge at being in an unfamiliar territory. He didn’t feel that she deserved an answer, but maybe offering her a response to her questions would make her feel that she could eventually warm up to him. </p><p>“Uhh… used to. Two actually, but both kicked the bucket b’fore the war ended,” he shrugged. Now that it crossed his mind, he hadn’t really thought about either one for quite some time. Staying busy with work kept his mind off of a lot of things, and he didn’t usually make it a habit to stay stuck in the past. He was pretty fond of his first master, though his time with her was cut short, “I think outta the seven of us, I’m the only one that got the short end of the stick in the master department.”</p><p>“I see, so your terrible luck exists here too, how sad for you. Have you considered returning to the Throne?” she quipped, her voice rich with faux innocence.</p><p>He thought about pawning her off onto the other masters. Soichirou was out of the question; Medea would be against it right off the bat. Shirou would probably be the easiest to convince, but he barely had any mana to share with his own servant, even during the Grail War. Not only that but with him being the center of so many girls’ affections, then maybe that wouldn’t be a good idea. He’d be throwing Shirou to the wolves, so maybe it’d be better to hand her off to one of the girls directly. Either one of them would probably be the best bet. Both of them had the resources and mana to take on Medb. Plus, she’d enjoy living in a rich household.</p><p>Unfortunately, he couldn’t picture her getting along with either of them, especially Tohsaka. Their personalities were too strong for each other, and there was no way he wanted to get dragged into their arguments. Sakura might be just as easy to convince as Shirou, but at the same time, he could see Medb pushing her around with selfish demands. He wasn’t about to make her or Medusa’s life harder than need be.</p><p>Ah... really, they really outta think about making me one of them holy Saints for all I've been through, he thought with a sigh.</p><p>“Why are you staring at me like that?” she demanded.</p><p>“I was just thinking that you can be pretty disagreeable,” he brusquely replied, putting his hands on his knees as he stood up.</p><p>“Disagreeable? I’m an absolute delight!”</p><p>He didn’t bother to see what kind of indignant expression she had, though he had to admit, it was amusing to know that for a queen, she had a very animated face. Who knew there were that many facial expressions to convey how irritated she was. “… Anyways, I’ll drop the discussion for now. I guess you really aren’t lying, but if you ever find out or remember any more information about your situation, you’re gonna have to tell me, all right?”</p><p>. . .</p><p>“I said, ‘All right?’”</p><p>He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Medb holding a sword in her hand and attempting another ambush. While he had never seen that particular one before, for some reason the colorful design felt pretty darn familiar.</p><p> Without really thinking about it, he stepped out of her way and grabbed the back of her coat as she whizzed past. In that split second, her face showed her surprise at how quickly he managed to doge. Her eyes went wide as she made an unpleasant "Urk!" from being stopped so suddenly. The whiplash from being tugged backwards threw her off balance. With how stunned she was, Cú was easily able to toss her against the opposite side of the room. It wasn’t until she screamed and hit her back against the solid wall that he thought that maybe it wasn’t exactly a good idea to fight indoors as far as his nosy neighbors were concerned.</p><p>“I hope you know I’m not gonna say sorry, but are you really going to keep coming after me like that?” He asked, squatting down to give her a hand.</p><p>She slapped his hand away. “Sorry, there was a pest in the room, and I wanted to get rid of it. My bad, I’ll get it next time.”</p><p>“Say that again when you’re not slumped on the floor, idiot,” he said, flicking her forehead. Just how much pride and animosity could one little girl hold? She reminded him of a pampered Pomeranian yipping at the heels of a much larger dog. Even then, he knew she was probably holding back, most likely to avoid wrecking the place. For an enemy, she sure was polite about her murder attempts.</p><p>A knock on the door caught both of their attention, and while Medb had no idea how to respond, it was Cú that groaned miserably. He knew exactly what that knock was for and gave his guest a warning stare. “Do me a favor here and don’t open yer trap for a few minutes.”</p><p>“That’s no way to talk to a queen, I will talk if I please,” she said, though by the grin on her face, she was just happy to defy him, even if it was something as small as this. How petty.</p><p>“I’ll keep that in mind,” he offhandedly replied as he pulled her up by her arm and half-dragged her towards the living room, ignoring any of her protests. He sat her down on the couch and smoothed out her hair, making sure her appearance didn’t look out of place. Her outfit was questionable, but he could make use of that. “Now then, stay here and try to actually look like a decent human being. Bet even you can manage that for a few moments, aye?”</p><p>“Why are you acting so paranoid out of the blue? Hm… oh, but you are staying in what I’m guessing is a sort of inn, so that must be the innkeeper at the door?” She mused, leaning away from him as he touched her hair. “They here to scold you for being too loud?”</p><p>He wasn’t about to get her fired up again if he mentioned that she was the one making all the commotion. “Yes, actually, so if you know that much, then you know now’s not the time to cause any trouble. So, stay put.”</p><p>Sure enough, when he headed over and opened the front door, the landlady was there waiting. He was glad that she looked more concerned than anything. He’d hate to trouble the old woman, especially since she was kind enough to not ask why he didn’t have proper IDs when he first decided to get a place to call his own. “Ah, Miss Landlady, good of you to swing by! Can I help you with anything?”</p><p>“No, nothing of the sort, Chulainn-San. I was just a tad worried about the, ah, noises coming from your apartment. I was told there was some hubbub up here, and I just wanted to make sure all was well. You’re usually such a sweet boy, I’d thought I’d check in with you myself.”</p><p>“Thanks, but everything’s all right here!” he quickly replied, as he leaned against the door. He purposely let the door creak a bit wider as he did, so she could clearly spot Medb. He was a bit grateful that the little queen was being obedient for once and simply stared back at them. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought she was a sweet lil thing looking like she popped right out of a fairy tale. Well. Maybe that was true. Just not the sweet part.</p><p>Taking the bait like he had hoped, the old woman eyes softened as she spotted Medb. “My, my, and who is this?” she asked, a smile wrinkling on her face.</p><p>“Oh this? I mean, her?” Without missing a beat, he walked over and hooked his arm around Medb, lugging her closer to his side against her will. She immediately resisted, pressing her heels into the floor, but he tightened his grip on her until he had to lift her off the ground to carry her over. He had never heard anyone make such a weird hissing noise before. </p><p>“This is my… uh.. girlfriend is visiting from our homeland back in Ireland! Yeah, that’s it. I bet you heard her tossing about, sorry ‘bout that,” he began, completely pulling this story out of his ass. Truth be told, he had no idea what to really make of Medb’s identity as far as non-mages were concerned. “Y’see she’s always been wobblier on her feet than a newborn lamb, but the jet lag must’ve made her extra clumsy. Isn’t that right, my little cheesy babe?”</p><p>If looks could kill, he’d have been dead five times over. However, he was impressed that she managed to reel in her reaction. She must have known he was testing her with that little jab becuase the only thing she did was secretly pinch his side with a grip so tight that he was sure to bruise. A small price to pay.</p><p>“Oho, how long have you known each other? You seem so close!”</p><p>“Close...? Uh... you think so? Feels like I’ve known this queen for thousands of years. Like our stories have always been intertwined since we’ve known each other” Cú felt justified with his lying by skirting on the edge of honesty. As long as he could keep it vague, he was certain that she would eat it up.</p><p>Unfortunately, he didn’t calculate how long Medb’s temper could be held at bay. To be held like a sack of potatoes was one thing, but to hear such a half-baked farce was far more insulting. How was this man even considered the hero of Ireland when he couldn’t even come up with anything better to cover his hide. “You must be blind if you think we seem close. Who would get along with this mess of a man?” Medb snapped, kicking her legs and trying to wiggle out of Cú’s arms.</p><p>The woman’s smile twitched, clearly uncomfortable, and she looked at Cú for some sort of explanation.</p><p>“My bad, this is her first time in Japan. She’s ah… not used to the culture here. Back in Ireland, we’re a little more, uh, coarse… a-as a sign of closeness and endearment! She means well, I promise!” He insisted, keeping Medb restrained. He hoped it looked like he was hugging her instead of suffocating her like he half wanted to.</p><p>“Is that so? I guess my grandchildren have a thing or two in common with the Irish,” the landlady laughed. “But both of you seem so young, are you all right being all the way here by yourselves so far from home? I know you’ve lived here for almost a year, but now that it’s the two of you... well, I’d be happy to cook something for the two of you if you’d like?"</p><p>“Th-that won’t be necessary! I appreciate the thought, but we’ll get by!” He could only imagine how Medb would behave on any other day. She was already gnawing on his arm when the landlady wasn’t looking her way.</p><p>“Then this old woman will take her leave. Try to keep it down in the future, okay?”</p><p>“Will do, thanks!” He waved and closed the door. It was only when he heard her shuffled footsteps fade as she rounded the corner that he could finally relax. He held Medb at arm length before he let go of her to avoid any more of her kicks or bites. Maybe he should go get checked for rabies later on.</p><p>“Okay, now you may run that mouth of yours. I don’t want that vein on your forehead to explode, so have at it,” he said, stepping out of her strike zone.</p><p>“Not that I need your permission, but THAT was your idea of a plan? You may as well as just sat there with you mouth hanging open like an idiot,” she chastised, brushing her coat out where he had grabbed her. “Tell me, do you always operate this way? If you weren’t such a brute in a fight, I wouldn’t even know how you managed to live as long as you did.”</p><p>“Sorry, I wasn’t exactly planning on having to explain why the queen of Connacht dropped by for tea today, or why she was trying to KILL me. Besides, I think it went well! She bought the story and left without more questions, that’s all I needed.”</p><p>“But girlfriend?? Aren’t you forgetting that you’re the one who’s going to have to keep your lil act up even outside of this room? If you were going to use me to keep up appearances, don’t you think you should have come up with something else? Something that wouldn’t be as questioned like a family friend or even a cousin? Even a sister would cause less problems. Who would question an quarrel amongst siblings?”</p><p>“Ah… maybe, you’re right,” he mused. Even if he counted what he knew of her in their past, he could hardly say he knew enough about her to fake a relationship. If anyone started asking more and more questions about his relationship with her, he was bound to be caught in a lie or two. He was always pretty careful about bringing women home too, but if anyone caught sight of them, there's no telling who would ask him about that too. “Y’know what, next time, we’ll go with your plan. I’ll introduce you as my sister then. Maybe I should go back and straighten my story with my landlady too while, I’m at it.”</p><p>“What…? Are you stupid? If you try to change your story now, she’s just gonna think you’re shaggin’ your sis. I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to have people here think that’s a Celt thing to do,” she sighed. “It’s certainly not a brilliant idea, but the first one to cross your head is simple enough to deal with. How fortunate for you that you’ve blundered your way into becoming the fake beloved of such a powerful queen.”</p><p>“Augh… what’s fortunate about it…?” </p><p>He caught her fist when she swung for his face and only let go once he was sure she wasn’t going to go with a followup attack. For such a small thing, her fists sure made his palm sting. “You know what, that reminds me. We need to set some ground rules, so why don’t you chill for a sec and sit down. Give those hands of yours a rest,” he said, as he took his seat at the table.</p><p>“Rules?” She raised an eyebrow, not satisfied with sitting until he explained himself.</p><p>“Yeah. Rules. If you’re going to be staying here, we’re gonna have to get on the same page. And becuase I know you’re gonna sass me about it, yeah, I said you’re staying here. Neither of us know why you’re here, and whether or not your summoning was botched, intentional, or a random act of the Grail. While you’re getting your bearings, it’s better that you stay with someone you know, and I’m not crazy about this situation, but that someone is me.”</p><p>So he wasn’t entirely stupid. Maybe his forte wasn’t on the spot plans, but at least it was good that dog brain of his could think long term. “It’s possible that you make some good points every now and then, so I guess I can hear you out,” she surmised, taking the seat across from him.</p><p>“Good, I thought so too; then let’s get started. First rule, no more assassination attempts.” Not that she was any good at it. While she often played dirty in her time, she was pretty similar to him in that neither of them liked playing from the shadows or being part of a cleanup crew. On top of that, she kept equipping bladed weapons, he would have to guess that she was either a saber or an archer. “Don’t really need a repeat of what happened with the Landlady or any other problems with the humans in this era while I’m here in this town.”</p><p>He quickly added, “We’re not in a war, Medb. Hell, we’re not even in Ireland anymore. That’s all behind us now, whether we like it or not. We don’t have to like each other, but there’s no reason we need to be enemies either. You’re just going to have to put in some trust in me, so I can help you, but you’re going to have to help me just as much. It’s not going to happen overnight, and I know neither of us are going to ever entirely trust each other… but just little by little, I think we can get deal with whatever fate’s got for us.”</p><p>Medb’s eyes became unreadable, but she leaned back to mull over his words. He sounded earnest, and though he was far from the honorable type, at least he tended to keep his word. Trust was a heavy word for her. Her lack of it helped to keep her alive in the brutish Celtic era, where the only true law was to kill or be killed. To just ask for her trust was something she couldn’t simply do, but as long as he understood that, then maybe she could abide by these rules of his. “Fine. If you think you can be of use to me, then I can assure you that I won’t kill you. That is a heavy if though, and that’s being generous.” </p><p>He wouldn’t put it past her to bare her fangs later on if he wasn’t careful. She was a tricky one, and it wouldn’t be the first time she lied to get the best of him. As a queen and tactician, she was second to none, but as an ally, he couldn’t expect her to ever be entirely loyal. “Yeah, okay whatever. Anyways, next rule… you can’t leave this apartment.”</p><p>“… Are you planning on keeping me here locked away?” She slowly asked.</p><p> If there was one thing Medb couldn’t stand, it was men who presumed that becuase she was a woman, she was easy to manipulate. Countless had wormed their way into her life, hoping to rope in what they could from her, whether it was sex or political favors. At an early age, she learned to utilize their greed to build up her own empire; however, there were still those that were insatiable and felt entitled enough that they could try to make her bend to their will. Cú Chulainn may have surprised her once by displaying no interest but her well being in the war, but she would be a fool to put faith in someone just for mere niceties. She learned the hard way </p><p>“It’s not my intention, calm down. You’re too headstrong to be controlled by anyone, first of all. I just…” he waved his hand, trying to think of how to explain it to her without sounding condescending, “don’t think it’s safe to have you walking around freely.”</p><p>“Are you saying I, Queen Medb of Connacht, won’t be able to defend myself if something were to happen?” Her tone was still sharp, but it came off as a genuine question rather than an accusation. </p><p>It would be impossible for him to admit that he concerned for other people’s safety if she decided to wreck some havoc. After all, he wanted to keep the peace as long as she would allow it. Somewhere along the lines he had must have said something that tickled her good side because she was a being a lot more diplomatic all of a sudden. If keeping her content would prevent her from betraying him down the line, then he was willing to swallow his pride.</p><p> “Remember, I’m here to help you. It’s just not a good idea for you to be wandering about when you just learned about your surroundings. Trust me when I say knowing and experiencing are two different things. When you get more situated, then we’ll talk.”</p><p>“That’s oddly considerate of you.”</p><p>“Thanks, I try.”</p><p>“So are there any other rules I should know about?” </p><p>He scratched his chin, closing his eyes before responding. “Uh… actually, no. At least none that I could think of yet, but I’ll run em by you if I come up with anything else. Just no more killing, and don’t leave the apartment. Everything else should be common sense. We can play this by ear, but if you can follow those rules, then I’m fine sharing everything here with you. I mean, I’m not always around, so it’d be nice to have someone look after the place while I’m gone.”</p><p>“Where do you disappear to anyways?” </p><p>“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He found her scowling face pretty rewarding.</p><p>“Anyways, this is the important part, so listen carefully.  As far as mana goes, you’re able to get by if you live like a human again. Eat, sleep, that sorta thing. Normally, we wouldn’t have to if we had a master supplying us, but that’s tough luck, I guess,” he said as he took the takeout out of the microwave and placed it on the table. Of course, he wasn’t sure if it’d work the same way with her if it wasn’t the Grail that summoned her here. “So without further ado, eat up. I’ll bring back what I can for you as long as you agree to follow my rules.”</p><p>He lifted the top of the styrofoam lid and slid the box closer to her. Two large omurice decorated with ketchup lay in wait. “It’s real good too, know the chef personally. If it got cold on my way here, I can heat it up again.”</p><p>Medb’s mouth watered at the scent, but her ego came first. She pushed the box away from her and narrowed her eyes. “So then, this is a bribe for my compliance? Or did you poison this now that you think my guard is down?”</p><p>“And here I was, thinkin’ we were finally having a moment.” He got out some plates from a cabinet and utensils from a drawer to set the table for the two of them. He returned to his chair and lifted his share out from the takeout box and onto his plate. “More for me then.” </p><p>As he split his open with a knife and began eating, he pretended not to watch her. </p><p>Medb was rocking side to side in her chair, trying to look away but her eyes kept going towards the food. She made a very entertaining array of faces, clearly debating with herself on whether or not she should eat. Her internal argument went on for a little bit until she casually reached for another utensil as if nothing had happened. “If you insist, then I will try it.”</p><p>“Good girl,” he said as he reached over to give her a pat on the head and ruffled her hair. He wondered if she even knew how expressive she was when she wasn’t out calculating everyone’s deaths</p><p>Medb grabbed his wrist and squeezed, prying his hand off of her. “Don’t patronize me, Chulainn. I’m older than you.” </p><p>“By a couple of years, so what?” He pulled his hand back and shook it. Her grip was stronger than it looked.</p><p>“Five years and a few months actually.”</p><p>“When you were alive, sure, but looks like you were summoned at a younger age. That means I’m the oldest here.” </p><p>“That’s a load of bull, and you know it. I won’t take this from someone who summoned themselves up some height, aye?”</p><p>“… I’m swearing you to secrecy.”</p><p>“Mhmm, I bet.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WEW here I am, back on my bullshit again, writing at 2am!!!</p><p>Also the sword Medb summoned was Caladbolg, which is something she borrowed from Fergus. She’s petty enough to use what little mana she had to try and whack Cú and we stan</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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